Brigitte Bardot

Bardot's records are a strange and fascinating collection. Most notorious is "Harley-Davidson" - the kitsch 1968 single for which she remains best known as a recording artist. Exotic to a fault, her output might not be Grammy material, but it's as much part of the B.B. myth as any of her most provocative film roles.

In France, there's a huge collector's market for Bardot's records, with prices soaring in recent years. In Britain, interest in these intriguing recordings continues to grow.

Stardom

Bardot appeared on record covers long before she sang a note. She shot to stardom in 1956 with And God Created Woman, but her cinematic debut was in 1952. The soundtrack LP for one of her early films became the second most popular music album issued in France, making the cover a highly valuable collector's item.

Virtually everything Bardot-related is collectable, with her French EPs being particularly popular. Her musical career began in earnest in 1962, though in 1961's film Vie Privée, she had hummed "Sidonie" while accompanying herself on guitar.

In 1962, Bardot signed to the Philips label as a singer. Her debut album "Brigitte Bardot" followed in 1963, preceded by four promotional singles for jukeboxes. The LP was available in two versions - a deluxe gatefold edition with poster, and a standard single-sleeve album.

The music was varied, with Bardot tackling songs in English and Spanish. The slow, nostalgic "La Madrague" - named after her villa in Saint-Tropez - proved popular with critics. More important was the inclusion of "L'Appareil à Sous," written by Serge Gainsbourg, the infamous singer and songwriter who would become crucial to her musical career.

The purists weren't always impressed by Bardot's voice, which - like her acting - was defiantly unique, with strange detachment and unusual phrasing. Her records shifted between French chansons in the classique style and the pop-rock christened 'ye-ye' music.

The Gainsbourg Years

1964 brought another album, "B.B.", with Bardot's blonde hair in close-up on the cover. The album spawned three collectable EPs and more jukebox singles. In 1965, four new songs appeared on an EP titled after Gainsbourg's seductive "Bubble Gum".

Bardot also sang on the soundtrack of Louis Malle's Viva Maria!, cutting three duets with actress Jeanne Moreau. The soundtrack LP was issued worldwide, supported by a rare French EP.

In 1966, Bardot moved to Disc AZ, a small independent label. Her first EP featured "Le Soleil" and "Gang Gang," arranged by British musical director Charles Blackwell. English versions appeared on a UK Vogue 45 that has never been reissued - copies regularly sell in France for over £150.

The Bardot Show

On New Year's Eve 1967, French TV broadcast 'Le Bardot Show' - a groundbreaking color special consisting of video clips years ahead of its time. Of the dozen songs performed, nearly half were specially commissioned.

The soundtrack LP featured that quintessential Bardot vehicle: Serge Gainsbourg's "Harley-Davidson". Delivered on TV while Bardot perched legs-astride on a Harley motorcycle, the song conjured up all sorts of mental images for impressionable viewers. The LP sleeve pictured Bardot virtually naked but carefully masked by wrapping paper - fans declared it a masterpiece.

The steamy Gainsbourg/Bardot duet "Bonnie & Clyde" also won acclaim and was released as the title track of a Fontana LP and EP.

Je T'Aime... Moi Non Plus

Another duet should have been included on that Fontana LP: "Je T'Aime... Moi Non Plus". At the end of 1967, Gainsbourg penned the ultimate statement of eroticism for the couple, which they recorded that December. But after the lovers split, Brigitte and her husband insisted the track remain in the vaults.

A year later, Gainsbourg re-recorded it with English actress Jane Birkin in London, scoring a worldwide hit and scandal in 1969. Bardot must have realized the international success could have been hers.

In 1986, Bardot finally gave permission for the original recording's release. Slightly remixed, it was issued as a single but virtually ignored by the public. With its original mix, the Bardot/Gainsbourg duet finally appeared on Gainsbourg's complete CD set in 1989.

Later Years

In December 1968, when Bardot's TV show was broadcast in America, sponsor Burlington prepared a promo album including a rare Bardot/Sacha Distel duet and English-language recordings with Gainsbourg.

As Bardot gradually withdrew from movies, her recording career declined. She rejoined Philips in 1969 for a one-off single, then released several EPs and singles through the early 1970s, including duets with Laurent Vergez and Sacha Distel.

Her most recent recording, "Toutes Les Bêtes Sont à Aimer" in 1982, was a fundraiser for the French Society for the Protection of Animals and Greenpeace - perfectly aligned with her growing passion for animal rights.

Her musical career may have been light on genuine hits, but it was far from forgotten. Retrospective LPs appeared in 1977 and 1978, with another in 1988.

In 1993, a luxurious three-CD box set "Initiales B.B." appeared in France, featuring around 60 songs from several labels, including three previously unissued tracks and an unknown Italian-language recording from 1973.

She'll be remembered as an actress, icon, and campaigner for animals - but her episodic recording career was definitely much more than a cash-in on celebrity status. It remains a fascinating chapter in the legend of B.B.